What are the most significant cases or transactions that your legal team has recently been involved in?

The last few years have been quite challenging. In addition to the complex part from a technical point of view, with so many new challenges arising, such as new data protection legislation, and other regulatory changes, there is also a part as complex, which is the behavioural part. The world has changed a lot in recent years, triggered by the pandemic. As a consequence, legal departments changed as well, and now we have to keep up with these changes quickly and efficiently.

On the one hand, we have to understand, study and master new matters, new laws, regulatory changes, understand, serve and solve our business partners’ problems, always protecting the company. And on the other hand, at the same time, we have to manage the new dynamics of the latest work models, the heating up of the market, the restlessness and immediacy of our younger and less experienced colleagues.

As we live in a fast-paced world today, what skills will a corporate legal team need to succeed in the modern in-house industry?

In this modern world, with a new way of working, skills such as flexibility, adaptability and empathy are essential. Also, understanding the business and knowing how to weigh the risks is very important. We can no longer be the lawyers who don’t let business get done. We have to be the lawyers who help business prosper, legally, ethically and with the risks identified and mitigated.

How do you suggest in-house lawyers build strong relationships with business partners?

Having strong, close and trusting relationships with business partners is essential. This relationship is built on a daily basis, maintaining connections, understanding the partner’s urgencies, difficulties and problems, towards helping business partners find solutions.